Europa Donna Brings the Patient Perspective to the European Parliament

On 9 June, Europa Donna Executive Board Member Dominika Kormanová spoke at the European Parliament during the launch of the Transforming Breast Cancer Together (TBCT) policy report, Breast Cancer in Europe: From Policy to Progress. The event was hosted by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Romana Jerković and other MEP speakers included Adam Jarubas, Tilly Metz and Tomislav Sokol. TBCT is a multistakeholder initiative that ED has been involved in since 2017; it aims to keep breast cancer high on the priority list of the EU institutions. 

Representing Europa Donna, Dominika highlighted the patient perspective, with a particular focus on the needs of people living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). She emphasised that, despite important advances in breast cancer care, metastatic disease remains underrepresented in cancer policies, registries and healthcare systems across Europe.

During the discussion, she called for stronger commitments to MBC within national cancer plans, equitable access to specialist multidisciplinary care and innovative treatments, improved psycho-oncology and supportive care services, and better quality-of-life support. She also stressed the urgent need for more comprehensive data collection on metastatic breast cancer, noting that better data are essential for understanding patients’ needs and designing effective healthcare services.

The event brought together MEPs, leading clinical experts and patient advocates to discuss how breast cancer policies can be translated into meaningful improvements for patients across Europe. Europa Donna was proud to contribute the patient voice to this important dialogue.